


i want to give you the sun

by ventusphoenix



Series: seasons of change [1]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Fluff, M/M, casually using the live shows as otp fodder, i lost count of the number of times i listened to Haruhana on loop, much vanilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 23:38:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ventusphoenix/pseuds/ventusphoenix
Summary: No words between them are needed; not when they have their song.





	i want to give you the sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KiriKay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiriKay/gifts).



> Thank you Kiri for your RanAi fics that made me fall into this ship. I was inspired to write for the pairing after reading your fics… so much in fact that the way I write for them might have accidentally been inspired by your headcanon(s) oops. But I hope you still like it.
> 
> Also a shoutout to my friend [Evi](http://twitter.com/evitalize) on Twitter who was the first one to link me to the fics. Thanks for dragging me down with you into UtaPri/Karunai/RanAi hell.
> 
> Fun fact: the idea for this story came to me a couple days before I found out about Haruhana’s release date. It would have been nice to publish this story closer to the song’s one-year anniversary, but alas I only just finished writing it this week. :’)

News of the next duet project is met with excitement; it’s the first time Ranmaru will be collaborating with Ai outside of activity with QUARTET NIGHT. He had known the chance would come eventually, and now that it’s here he’s excited to see what they can produce together.

He looks to his new partner, who remains stoic and nods at the announcement. No disagreements, no arguments; simple obedience. Years before, when they were still learning how to be a group, Ranmaru might have been annoyed by the cold response. But now he knows it’s Ai’s professionalism coming through; no doubt, his passion for the project would become evident once they started on it.

As they leave Shining Saotome’s office, Ranmaru feels a tug on his jacket. He turns to see Ai looking at him, blinking once and then twice.

“…I’m looking forward to our duet,” he says softly.

Ai is nothing if not honest, so any doubts Ranmaru might have had about the other’s feelings towards the project vanish in that moment. He grins, reaching out to playfully punch his shoulder.

“Same ‘ere. Let’s do our best.”

The small smile he receives in return is answer enough.

* * *

They receive the first demo of their new song not too long afterwards. As the two of them huddle in Ai’s room with sheet music in hand, Ai notes that this song is different to anything they’ve worked on before. The wordless music plays through the speakers of his laptop, filling the otherwise quiet room. As he listens to the parts that will eventually be filled by his and Ranmaru’s vocals, his eyes flicker over the lyrics in his hand. There’s a bittersweetness to it that he can’t quite place, contemplating the various emotions as well as the feelings of love.

 _Love_ , he thinks. It was always a complicated topic for him; an emotion he didn’t quite grasp, and yet it was a common subject matter within art and literature. He looks towards Ranmaru, who is similarly focused on the music. His expression is neutral, making it hard for Ai to read what is going through his mind in that moment. He notes once again that especially for Ranmaru, this style of music is unlike what he is normally comfortable with. Already, Ai is compiling past data within his head to piece together the best way for them to present this song. But he knows from experience with his juniors that songs were made up of more than just raw data. As the final notes of the song peter out, Ai turns to Ranmaru with anticipation, lowering his sheet music.

“What do you think?” he asks.

Ranmaru scratches the back of his head, exhaling slowly.

“It’s different,” he replies, to which Ai nods in response. A logical conclusion that they had both come to, and he’s glad they’re in agreement.

“Ballads aren’t my thing,” Ranmaru continues, as if trying to solidify his point. “But that doesn’t mean ‘m gonna give it any less.”

Ai smiles, picking the sheet music back up. His hand hovers over his laptop, ready to begin replaying the demo track.

“Then I won’t either,” he replies.

“It’s not a challenge,” Ranmaru snorts.

As the music starts over from the beginning, Ranmaru pulls up his chair to Ai’s desk. He begins singing parts of the melody, getting a feel for the song. Ai quirks an eyebrow when he hears something amiss in Ranmaru’s voice. It’s like it’s lighter, lacking the usual intensity of his vocals. Ai blinks, exhaling softly when he realises what it is.

“You’re holding back,” he points out, prompting Ranmaru to pause.

“Hmm?”

“Sing as you normally would,” he continues. “It may be a ballad, and it may be me you’re singing with. But don’t change your style just for that.”

This time it’s Ranmaru’s turn to blink. He takes in Ai’s words, as if the realisation is dawning on him at that moment as well. He shakes his head and chuckles.

“I’m gonna get serious then,” he grins, and Ai’s mouth twists into a smile in response.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Ai shifts his laptop to make more room on his desk, spreading the sheet music in front of them. He shuffles closer to Ranmaru’s side, their shoulders touching as they lean over the music. Ranmaru picks up the melody again, and this time his voice is confident, no longer lacking the power that had been missing before. Ai smiles to himself before beginning to sing as well.

They go over the song a few times together, alternating between singing different parts. All in all it’s a productive first session, and Ai is pleased with the progress they’ve made. They call it a day, but Ai is already looking forward to their next practice.

* * *

Ranmaru quickly learns that Ai is a person of few words. It’s a stark contrast to working with Reiji during the last duet project, whose flair for conversation had grated on him like no other. It didn’t help that the group was still in its early days at that time, and looking back at it now, Ranmaru can’t help but laugh at how much they’ve grown.

They’re preparing for the first recording of their duet, Ai in front of the microphone and Ranmaru watching from within the recording studio. The producer is at the sound desk, toggling between faders and knobs while Ai is warming up with some vocal exercises. He briefly catches Ranmaru’s eye from behind the glass, tilting his head and smiling. Ranmaru lifts his hand in a fist bump, but he suspects that Ai accidentally reads it as a punch to his shoulder by the way he laughs and shakes his head.

The producer rattles off some instructions, and the shift is evident to Ranmaru immediately. Ai falls right into professional mode, positioning himself in front of the microphone and tapping his fingers on his leg as the backing track begins to play. The introduction is familiar, Ranmaru recalling their multiple sessions in front of Ai’s laptop or sharing earphones as the music played through his or Ai’s music player. They were more casual during those practices, he thinks, seeing Ai handle himself with an air of cool professionalism now.

The first vocal part belonged to Ranmaru, but it was decided that Ai would record his parts first. They had gone over the song enough times to learn each other’s parts, as noted by the way he can see Ai singing silently in time with the music. He looks away from the microphone and at Ranmaru, who had been mouthing his own lines from behind the glass. Ai notices this and has to stifle a giggle before it can reach the microphone. He nods at him, and with a fresh smile on his face he takes a deep breath and begins to sing.

There’s a fragility to Ai’s voice that draws Ranmaru in; it’s in the quiver of his notes, the vibrato that peppers the end of his lines. He brings something new to the song, something he had never heard before during their joint practices. Ai had expressed his struggle with the various emotions in the song’s lyrics before, but hearing him sing now Ranmaru finds it hard to believe. His delivery of the song tugs at him, stirring something in his heart. Suddenly, Ranmaru is eager to get behind the microphone and respond to Ai’s feelings in song.

All too soon Ai’s recording finishes, and the producer rattles off his praises as Ai removes his headphones, smoothing his hair back into place. Ranmaru is still speechless, stunned into silence by Ai’s performance. It takes the producer barking at him to get ready to shake him out of his reverie. Ranmaru composes himself and snaps back at the producer, his tone a little harsher than he had intended before exiting the recording studio.

He meets Ai in the short hallway connecting the studio to the recording booth, who tilts his head with a small smile on his face. Seeing it, Ranmaru can’t help but smirk back. It’s a smile reserved for him only, for when they’re in private. Again, he’s reminded of their informal meetings and quieter days spent in each other’s company. Casual touches, although few and far between, were also reserved for those private moments.

Ranmaru raises his hand, and Ai’s smile brightens in understanding. As they pass each other, their palms brush in a high-five. No words between them are needed, not when they have their song. 

* * *

It’s the night of their live performance, and Ai waits patiently beneath the stage for his cue. Somewhere, on the opposite side of the stage, Ranmaru is also waiting for the same cue. He takes some deep breaths to steady himself, mind wandering back to the past few weeks. All their preparation had led to this stage, and already his body feels heavier at the thought of the end. It’s an irrational thought, especially when the show has barely started.

He hears Reiji and Camus entering the final chorus of their song, so Ai knows exactly how long it will be before his cue starts. He moves into position, onto the small platform that will bring him up to the main stage. He listens for a moment to Reiji and Camus, concentrating on their performance. It’s different to when he had heard them during practice, something about the atmosphere and the crowd driving them to sing harder and better. Ai briefly wonders if the audience will stir a similar influence in his and Ranmaru’s performance.

The song ends, and the crowd erupts into cheers and applause. Ai’s fingers flex around his microphone, his lips tightening as he waits for the arena to fall into silence again. Soon enough, he catches a glimpse of Reiji and Camus retreating beneath the stage, and the introduction of the next song begin to play. It immediately has a calming effect on Ai, the introduction easy and familiar. But the effect doesn’t last long.

He emerges above stage to a roaring crowd, the arena awash in lights of deep red and violet. Coupled with the spotlights trained on the stage and the sheer volume of the audience, it’s all a bit overwhelming. Ai flinches, though the motion is small enough that no one takes notice. He’s immediately grateful that most of the song will be performed on carts being wheeled around the stage. He stiffly moves to his cart, steadying himself on the railing. He closes his eyes, gently moving his body in time with the music so that it looks like he’s warming into the song. It helps with the overwhelming visual stimulation, but it does little for the surrounding noises. The cheers from the crowd, the buzzing from the spotlights, and the pounding in his head begin to drown out the music. Ai’s anxiety spikes, and he feels his throat tightening up.

Then, he hears a deep voice; mellow, warm, and singing a set of familiar lyrics. Ai focuses on the words, using them to anchor himself. A memory comes to him easily; of the first time he had heard the song being played, and the first time he had heard those words being sung. It’s Ranmaru’s voice that calms him, the thought of Ranmaru that grounds him and allows him to breathe again. It acts as a solid presence, giving Ai the strength he needs to find his voice.

He begins to sing, his voice coming out more shaky than he would like. But gradually the music becomes a little more clearer to him, and the cheers from the crowd fade into background noise. He’s able to hear Ranmaru’s voice ringing strong and proud throughout the arena, confident in a way that continues to ground him. And when they sing together, their voices blend to create the most wonderful harmony. Ai chases Ranmaru’s voice, as if afraid that without it he’ll become lost in the sea of noise again. His own voice is bordering on nervous, with a certain vulnerability to it that could be described as him bringing out the emotions in the song. But Ranmaru only offers his powerful vocals in response, wrapping Ai in his words and providing a contrast to the song that wasn’t there before.

When they meet again on the main stage, the grin that Ranmaru gives him sends a warm shiver through his body. Something about knowing that Ranmaru is close by gives him the confidence to sing proudly, as he picks up his next line and delivers it with newfound emotion. Ranmaru responds in turn, conveying a quiet strength that’s almost contrary to his outward appearance. But it’s fitting for the song, only exemplified by the contrast in their voices. As the final instrumental plays out, Ai reaches out for Ranmaru, and the latter does the same. When their fingers touch, Ai sucks in a deep breath at the contact. It feels warm and inviting, and all he wants is to melt into it. But all too soon they part, and Ai blinks before quickly slipping into his ending pose.

The crowd roars with applause. The excitement from the audience is felt by the pair, seeing the waves of deep red and violet penlights flickering in the arena. Neither of them move from their position, Ai continuing to catch his breath for a moment. Ranmaru lets him, leaning against him with a slight bit of extra pressure. The back of Ranmaru’s palm is warm on his, but it’s not the same.

His fingers still burn with Ranmaru’s touch. 

* * *

They exit off opposite sides of the stage, Ai heaving a sigh of relief as he retreats beneath the stage. He pulls at the collar of his jacket, seeking some sort of cool relief but it’s no use; he can still feel the heat under his skin, like a lingering buzz in his system. He passes by Camus, who is about to reappear on stage. He nods to Ai, offering a small smile. No doubt, he had heard their song while waiting backstage. Ai nods back in response, quickly making his way to the greenroom to prepare for his next song. He’s about halfway through fitting his earpiece when the door opens, the silence interrupted by music from the stage filtering through. Ranmaru slips inside, rolling his shoulders as he goes to put down his microphone. He sees Ai already in the room and grins widely, grabbing him around the shoulders. Ai tenses at the contact, but Ranmaru doesn’t seem to notice as he lets out a laugh.

“That was amazing,” he breathes, shaking his shoulders for more emphasis. “I could feel it: the depth of your emotions. God, I think that was our best performance yet. It was really something.”

Ai gives a small nod, some of his tension easing away once Ranmaru lets go of him. He has many things he wants to say in response, but they all jumble in his head, making it hard to settle on one coherent sentence. It doesn’t take long for Ranmaru to notice Ai staring at him, as he cocks his head.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” he asks.

Ai opens his mouth, but quickly closes it soon after. Heat curls under his skin when he tries to process his thoughts, sending his wires into a frenzy. Ranmaru continues to look at him expectantly, waiting on an answer. Ai blinks, some thread of understanding settling in. He stands up from his seat and crosses the small space over to where Ranmaru is seated. He stretches out his arm, pushing his palm towards him in a mirror of the end of their last performance.

“Could you… do it again?” he says quietly.

Ranmaru quirks an eyebrow at the palm offered to him. But he soon understands what is being asked of him, smirking as he complies with Ai’s request. He stands up, similarly reaching out his arm and pressing his palm to Ai’s. Warmth seeps into his fingers, a heated contrast to his own normally cool skin.

He hadn’t been able to think on it much before, too distracted by the sudden spark that had coursed through him at the time. But now in the privacy of the greenroom, with just the two of them, he can feel the rough tips of Ranmaru’s fingers, hardened over years of playing his bass. Ai sighs, settling easily into his touch with a familiar warmth. His fingers curl, slipping into the spaces between Ranmaru’s fingers as if they were carved for him.

“Ai…” Ranmaru begins, but his voice trails off, leaving in its wake a half-finished sentence.

“Mm?” Ai hums contently, encouraging him to continue where he left off.

But instead of responding with words, he simply closes his own fingers over Ai’s hand and steps closer to him. Ai finds himself tilting his head up slightly to look at Ranmaru, blinking at him. He’s waiting for him to say something, to let go of his hand and allow both of them to prepare for their next set list.

What he doesn’t expect is for Ranmaru to lean down and kiss him. If Ranmaru’s touch made his skin burn, his kiss makes it feel like his whole body is on fire. The heat that had been hiding under his skin flares up, coursing through every wire in his system. Ai gasps into Ranmaru’s mouth, squeezing his hand in surprise. They immediately part, Ranmaru’s eyes wide as if afraid he’s hurt him. But Ai quickly rubs his thumb over his palm with a whispered apology. He shyly peers at Ranmaru, whose brows are knit close together. Ai suspects that he’s worried about crossing a line he shouldn’t have, but it’s not that he found the kiss unpleasant; in fact, it has Ai craving for more. So he leans up, pulling Ranmaru close again as he tentatively touches his lips to his.

Their second kiss doesn’t burn as much as the first one, but Ai melts under it all the same. He smiles against his mouth, eyes slipping shut as he savours the feeling. Somewhere above him, Ranmaru also hums in approval, tugging Ai even closer. He allows himself to be pulled against Ranmaru’s chest, seeking more of that warmth from before. Ai makes a content noise, Ranmaru laughing into the kiss, and he decides that it wouldn’t be so bad if they continued to stay like this.

He can’t put a word to his feelings, still doesn’t quite know how to feel about this, and about them.

All he knows is that it just feels right.

**Author's Note:**

> Normally my fics have more dialogue I’m not sure what happened here—.
> 
> Fun fact #2: I’m already thinking of the sequel/companion fic. ;)


End file.
